The Shorewood School District continues to move forward with facilities improvements after two referendum questions were passed by the community last April. Here’s a quick update on the latest news regarding facilities:
Engaging Staff in the Planning Process
Eppstein Uhen Architects (EUA) consulted with teaching staff and principals in May and June. These staff user groups helped the architects gather valuable feedback on initial planning concepts, including where programs are located and how they function to best serve student needs.
Eppstein Uhen Architects (EUA) consulted with teaching staff and principals in May and June. These staff user groups helped the architects gather valuable feedback on initial planning concepts, including where programs are located and how they function to best serve student needs.
Community Design Workshop
Shorewood residents attended an interactive Community Design Workshop facilitated by EUA on June 18. Participants shared their ideas about historic preservation, how our spaces should feel for students and staff, as well as what our facilities should communicate to the broader community. This important input will help inform the District’s preservation efforts and exterior design.
Shorewood residents attended an interactive Community Design Workshop facilitated by EUA on June 18. Participants shared their ideas about historic preservation, how our spaces should feel for students and staff, as well as what our facilities should communicate to the broader community. This important input will help inform the District’s preservation efforts and exterior design.
Project Timeline
Architectural Design: April 2019-April 2020
Project Bidding: May-June 2020
Atwater/Lake Bluff Renovation: June 2020-July 2022
SIS Renovation: June 2021-July 2022
SHS Addition/Renovation: June 2020-July 2023
Architectural Design: April 2019-April 2020
Project Bidding: May-June 2020
Atwater/Lake Bluff Renovation: June 2020-July 2022
SIS Renovation: June 2021-July 2022
SHS Addition/Renovation: June 2020-July 2023
Financing Update
The District plans to borrow the referendum-approved funds in two phases. The School Board approved the first phase of the referendum financing, $40 million, at their meeting on June 11, 2019. The interest rate on the 20-year borrowing, inclusive of all costs of issuance, is 2.66%.
The District plans to borrow the referendum-approved funds in two phases. The School Board approved the first phase of the referendum financing, $40 million, at their meeting on June 11, 2019. The interest rate on the 20-year borrowing, inclusive of all costs of issuance, is 2.66%.
For pre-referendum planning purposes, the interest rate on the first phase was estimated at 4.25%. This lower interest rate reduces the projected interest cost associated with the borrowing by over $3.9 million.
The District benefited from this low interest rate environment and saw a high degree of competition for the bond issue. The District’s exemplary long-term credit rating of “Aa2” was affirmed by Moody’s Investors Service.
The remaining referendum authority of $25 million will likely be issued in 2021.
What’s Next
> June-Aug: District Management Team develops initial exterior design concepts
> June-Aug: District Management Team develops initial exterior design concepts
> Aug: School Board and staff user group design updates; all-staff presentations
> Sept/Oct: Exterior designs presented to the Village Design Review Board
> This Fall: Community Design Update meeting, stay tuned!
> This Fall: Community Design Update meeting, stay tuned!
Board Meeting Update (7.9.19)
The District Management Team met with the North Shore Fire Department and the Village Building Inspector to talk through the remodeled areas of the projects being designed. This was a good opportunity to get them involved early in our design process
so there are no surprises as EUA develops the next set of draft designs. There were some clarifying questions around student storage in the hallway (lockers) and some smoke doors that will need to remain but may be able to be renovated to eliminate the frame bar that is in the middle of the hallway that students occasionally run into.
so there are no surprises as EUA develops the next set of draft designs. There were some clarifying questions around student storage in the hallway (lockers) and some smoke doors that will need to remain but may be able to be renovated to eliminate the frame bar that is in the middle of the hallway that students occasionally run into.
EUA and Miron have done walkthroughs with principals at SHS, SIS and Lake Bluff to document the scope of the capital maintenance work (ceiling replacements, casework refurbishments, door replacement/refurbishment, painting and flooring). Atwater will be completed next week.
EUA plans to attend the Board Meeting on August 13 to present the Community Design Workshop results and how they have influenced the designs of our renovations.